As feet bear the weight of the body, foot tendons are also susceptible to many stresses while standing, walking, running, or jumping. If normal motion of the tendon is impaired, the tendon will become inflamed and movement will become painful. This is called tendonitis, and literally means inflammation of the tendon. Common causes of tendon pain are improperly fitting shoes or constant use of high heeled shoes, improper movement of the foot, repetitive sports activity or physical activity or trauma, obesity, aging, flat feet or feet with very high arches, overuse of tendons, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Elderly or aged people are mostly affected by foot tendon and ligament pain. However, tendonitis can also be experienced by younger people in case of repeated injury to the tendon because of overuse. Foot tendonitis is commonly found in the Achilles tendon at the ankle joint. The Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon in the body. The Achilles tendon connects the heel to the muscles of the lower leg. Physicians routinely prescribe the application of ice packs to reduce pain and swelling associated with tendonitis.
The plantar fascia is located in the arch area of the foot and runs across the bottom of the foot from the heel to the ball and spreads out across the width of the foot. The plantar fascia serves as a shock absorber while walking and transfers tensile forces along the bottom of the foot. The plantar fascia serves the vital role of maintaining the shape of the arch of the foot. As tensile stresses are produced in the bottom of the foot, the plantar fascia absorbs the tensile forces and maintains the shape of the foot arch.
For example, while standing or while in motion, forces experienced by the foot tend to flatten the arches. This flattening effect is especially acute in people having high arches. The plantar fascia running along near the bottom surface of the foot is analogous to a string in an archer's bow. Forces that tend to move the ends of the bow apart increase tension on the string. In other words, as forces on the arch push the bones downward, the plantar fascia is subjected to tensile forces. If the tension on the plantar fascia becomes excessive, the plantar fascia may be damaged and produce a condition called plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a painful medical condition resulting from inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is thick and essentially inelastic. Overstressing the plantar fascia may produce tears in the plantar fascia or separate the plantar fascia from bone and other surrounding materials. Frequently, the inflamed areas are along the arch of the foot or near the heel of the foot. Plantar fasciitis may be quite debilitating in that everyday activities such as walking and standing may be very painful.
Ice or other types of cold compresses are commonly recommended by physicians for reducing inflammation, especially resulting from high impact activities or from standing still for extended periods of time. Typical treatments for tendonitis of the foot and plantar fasciitis may involve oral anti-inflammatories, ice packs, bedrest, stretching, steroid injections, night splints and wedge-shaped arch supports. In extreme cases, treatment of tendonitis of the foot or plantar fasciitis may require corrective surgery.
For example, treatment for plantar fasciitis may include medical personnel strapping strips of tape to the bottom of an injured foot. Strips of tape are applied at various angles across the bottom of the foot. The tape is difficult to remove from the rolls and bunches up during the taping process. Thus, care must be exercised during the application of the tape to avoid wrinkles in the tape which can cause blisters and other problems. Taping the foot can be cumbersome, inefficient, and ineffective in preventing excessive stretching of the plantar fascia. Additionally, applying and/or attaching an ice pack to the foot may be cumbersome and may require the use of a bandage or other securement means to attach the ice pack to the foot.
Sometimes when current methods of treatment for tendonitis of the foot and plantar fasciitis are ineffective, expensive surgical procedures are required to relieve pain. For example, to obtain access to a tendon of the foot or the plantar fascia, surgeons may perform either an endoscopic procedure requiring small incisions or conventional direct visualization requiring the underside of the foot to be opened up. With either painful procedure, scars may result and recovery time may be from weeks to months.
Even with treatment, improper treatment of tendonitis or plantar fasciitis may lead to other medical problems. For example, improper treatment of plantar fasciitis can lead to “heel spurs.” Thus, it is desirable to have a device for treating the pain of tendonitis or plantar fasciitis. It is also desirable to have a device for treating foot inflammations such as tendonitis of the foot and plantar fasciitis that is economical and may be easily applied by the wearer.